I once saw a beautiful quilt on which these items were appliqued on a solid (or near solid) backing of a complimentary color. Each item was first stitched on around the edge or near the edge (crocheted edging was left loose for a "rag-edge look") then quilting was done inside the appliqued item and on the background material to make the handwork stand out. Just have to play with the placement of the items to get the overall look you want to have.